Tuesday 26 February 2013

New Release: Smut Alfresco, edited by Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Blisse

Hi all!

This is just a flying visit, I'm afraid as I'm totally up against it with a deadline, but I just wanted to let you know that Smut Alfresco just released. Here are the details:


Sex in the great outdoors is the theme of this erotic anthology, edited by Victoria Blisse and Lucy Felthouse.

From the dramatic gritstone escarpments of Derbyshire’s Peak District, to a quiet caravan site in deepest Wales, Smut Alfresco has it all. Whatever your interpretation of frisky outdoor fun, there’s something nestling between the covers for you.

Sexy woodsmen, daring couples, rock stars, cougars, map enthusiasts, mattresses, ex-lovers, tour guides, hunky sheriffs and nature reserve rangers all appear in this hot collection of stories from erotica’s finest authors.

Includes stories from: Violet Fields, Demelza Hart, Victoria Blisse, Jacqueline Brocker, Wendi Zwaduk, K T Red, Tilly Hunter, Bel Anderson, Lucy Felthouse, Kay Jaybee, Tenille Brown, Cass Peterson, Jenny Lyn and Nicole Gestalt.

And here's a snippet from my story:


Violet slammed down the lid of her laptop with far more force than was necessary. She flinched, thinking perhaps she might have cracked the screen or broken one of the machine’s internal components. Then she shrugged, realising she didn’t care if she had. It was her work’s computer, after all, not hers. If it was fucked, they’d have to replace it. And it would serve them right, too. Bastards.

The reason she was pissed off was the fact she was in work at all. It was Saturday, and the previous afternoon her useless boss had dumped a project on her, stating it had to be finished by Monday, no matter how long it took. He’d then added that he was going away for the weekend, meaning it was all down to her. The selfish, disorganised wanker. It wouldn’t be so bad, but she hadn’t had a pay rise for two years, and when she went above and beyond for her job, she didn’t get so much as a thank you, let alone be paid any overtime. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, either.

Well, fuck them. She wasn’t going to be a doormat—or her boss’ scapegoat—any more. Let them try and sack her—she wasn’t doing anything remotely wrong, and they couldn’t make her working life any more hellish than it already was.

She stood up sharply, sending her swivel chair careening backwards across the room until it hit the wall. She shrugged again, she still didn’t care. Let it chip the fucking paintwork, or a bust a hole in the plasterboard. No one else was there, so nobody could prove or disprove that it had been an accident.

Pausing to switch the lights off—she was pissed off at her employers, not the environment—she left the offices, setting the alarm before closing the door behind her. Stuffing her access swipe card into her handbag, she heaved a sigh of relief. There would probably be hell to pay for her stunt on Monday, but she’d worry about that then. Right now, she was just desperate to get out. Into the countryside, or, given she was in central London, to a green space, at the very least.

From where she worked, Green Park was probably the closest, but she figured Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens were bigger, so she’d be more likely to find a secluded spot where she could just be by herself. The last thing she needed now was to have to deal with other people.

Want more? Grab your copy here: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/smut-alfresco/

*****
Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over seventy publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include Best Bondage Erotica 2012 and 2013, and Best Women's Erotica 2013. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies. She owns Erotica For All, and is book editor for Cliterati. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

Alan Calder: 'The Glorious Twelfth'



The Glorious Twelfth is my second novel, set mainly in my native Caithness with forays into France, Italy, Egypt and Poland. The genre is mystery/suspense with a thread of romance running through the story.

Genesis of the Glorious Twelfth

In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown speculates that the Holy Grail lies buried in the filled in crypt of Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh. This mysterious church was built by the Sinclairs in the first half of the fifteenth century, by which time the clan was well established in Caithness where it still holds the Earldom. Caithness, then remote and inaccessible, would have provided a much better hiding place for the Grail than Rosslyn, especially after the Sinclairs began to build a series of heavily fortified castles round the Caithness coast. In Caithness, the Sinclairs also built several mausoleums where many generations of their upper echelons were laid to rest. One of these, an enchanting building with an ogive shaped roof, is built over the remains of an ancient chapel to St Martin and surrounded by a graveyard which once contained a class II Pictish stone, conferring great antiquity on the site.                                             


The Glorious Twelfth- Blurb
The Glorious Twelfth opens as archaeologist Ben Harris finds a Celtic stone and evidence of a medieval shipwreck on the Noster estate of Sir Ranald Sinclair. Careless talk by Ben at a conference in Paris sparks off a robbery at  Sir Ranald’s mausoleum, uncovering a treasure that has been hidden for centuries. The robbery follows the opening day of the grouse season, hence the title of the book. The chief villain, grail fanatic Russian Boris Zadarnov, also abducts Sir Ranald’s wayward daughter, Fran, who is already in love with Ben. American oilman Al Regan, a neighbour of Sir Ranald, leads a rescue party to Paris where Fran is freed and most of the treasure recovered, but the thieves escape with a ruby encrusted chalice.
     For a series of misdemeanours, including failing to spot that the Celtic stone was a fake, Ben is sacked from his university job. He finds consolation in the arms of Fran and moves north to continue treasure hunting, making the discovery of his life near one of the ancient Sinclair castles. Has he found the greatest archaeological prize in Christendom, the Holy Grail? Will he be able to protect it from the malevolent attention of Alexei, younger brother of the deceased Boris?

 The Glorious Twelfth- Opening Excerpt

Ben Harris was examining pottery fragments in the dig tent, already warming up under an August morning sun, when he heard the shout. It was from Angela in the trench on top of the hillock which the locals had always called, The Hill of Peace.

     “Ben, I’ve got something!”

It wasn’t normal to call the field archaeologist for routine finds such as pieces of pottery, so he picked up his trowel and brush and rushed up the path to the dig. In his haste he forgot to put on the wide brimmed kudu skin hat, which normally restrained his longish mop of fair hair and gave him protection from the sun. He was excited by the call, not least because this was his first dig as the boss and the site had certainly looked of interest on the geophysics survey, carried out at Easter by a colleague.

      Angela was on her knees in the metre deep trench, bounded by the foundations of a simple rectangular building, gradually revealed over the previous two weeks. She was carefully prising the compressed soil from a flat stone surface, in the middle of the floor of the building.

     “It’s incised; look there’s a curved line. I don’t think it’s a plough mark.”

     “Not a metre down. I’ll start recording and fetch the laptop just in case.” If it was an important find, he wanted to record the moment as it happened and not have to stage a reconstruction.

     “There’s more, it’s a fish, I’ve got the tail,” she shouted, as he returned with the laptop.

     “Wow, we have got something here.” Looking over her shoulder, Ben could see the fan of the salmon’s tail materialise from the dust. It was about half life-size and pleased him infinitely more than any of the real wild ones he’d caught with rod and line. “Let me check the geophysics.” His mind was racing at the prospect of an undiscovered Pictish stone. 

     “Is it that big anomaly we saw?” Angela asked.

     “Spot on. That’s it.” He perched the laptop on the edge of the trench, allowing her to see the dark shadow on the trace.

     “So, there’s a lot more of it to uncover.”

     As they bent down over the stone again, a shadow covered Ben. He looked up to see the tall slender figure of Fran, daughter of Sir Ranald Sinclair, the proprietor and dig sponsor, on the other side of the trench, blocking out the sun.  She was standing with her arms folded below her breasts, tapping a sandal-covered foot on the edge of the trench, causing a mini-collapse of soil.

     From Ben’s low position in the trench, his first sight was the silhouette of her long legs showing through the thin fabric of her dress. Scanning up further, the sun was neatly eclipsed by her head and sparkled through the outer frizz of her lustrous deep copper coloured hair. It gave her a goddess-like halo, accentuated by the refraction of light through the prisms of her long dangling ear-rings. Her challenging presence made him think of Boudicca, the early Iceni  Queen who took on the Romans.

      Ben narrowed his focus on her face. He got a fleeting impression of self-satisfaction as her eyes left the stone and met his briefly, with the faintest of smiles. She turned sharply on her heel and disappeared into the light without uttering a word. Her departure left him looking into the sun, temporarily blinded, but with the optical memory of her shape still imprinted behind his eyes. Ben shook his head to restore his sight and push her image to the back of his mind. The other students and volunteers on the dig began to assemble round the periphery of the trench, attracted by the allure of the square foot or so of exposed stone.

     “What was that all about?” asked Angela.

     “She seems very interested in the stone,” said Ben.

     “I think she fancies the archaeologist,” said Angela with a hint of menace.

      Ben did not rise to Angela’s bait. He suspected a personal sub-text on her part. She was being very nice to him and always seemed to be hovering within easy reach.

     “I could lift it out for you with the JCB,” said Jay Fuller, an American based on the main platform of the Caithness Shelf oilfield, a few miles offshore. Jay volunteered on his rest days,  a break from the tedium of the production schedule. The other students sniggered at his unprofessional enthusiasm.

     “All in good time, Jay; but you’re right; we will need the JCB for this one.”  Ben gave Fuller a break. He didn’t want to exploit his minor gaffe. He also realised that he would have to rethink the digging plan in the light of the discovery.

     “Is it tea time?” asked the beaming Angela.

     “Okay, let’s take an early tea break and think about what we need to do next.”

     Over the tea break they discussed a new plan to focus on trench three. Ben  would join Angela on the stone and the others would work on fully digging out the rest of the trench. He also called Sir Ranald Sinclair, owner of the Noster Estate to tell him about the find and it was agreed that the proprietor would visit the dig at five p.m.


Links




 Best wishes to all

Alan Calder

Friday 22 February 2013

Guest blog: Susan Mac Nicol - 'Together in Starlight'

Bennett Saville is sexy. At the peak of his career, the English star of stage and screen is everything a woman might desire, as fiancée Cassandra Wallace well knows. Together they’ve seen the world, from L.A. to Shangri La, yet shadows persist even in the spotlight. At home they face lust, greed, and ghosts from their pasts—and that’s off stage. There is also “The Val”. The aged London theatre holds a mystery four centuries old, cast in starlight and waiting to be revealed. Intensely personal, impossibly passionate, the play must go on…and Cassie and Bennett must face it together.








Excerpt (Chapter One):


Bennett Saville stood at the window of his hotel room looking out over the Hengduan Mountains surrounding the mystical town of Shangri La in Tibet. He’d been there nearly six weeks now filming his new movie, and had yet to tire of the view of the valley and the towering mountains that seemed to surround the hotel like a massive rock shield. The October sun shone down on the valley and the green fields surrounding the hotel.
Across the river in the distance he could see the small figures of farmers as they went about their business. Small white forms of sheep were speckled like popcorn about the grassy hills. He sighed, stretching his lanky frame, wincing as his muscles protested against the activity.
The day’s filming had taken its toll on him, not least of which was his backside from sitting on a mule most of the day. The mule had not particularly taken to him. He supposed wryly that when two immoveable and stubborn objects met there was bound to be some friction. He turned as someone swore behind him, and saw his fiancée, Cassie Wallace, struggling under the weight of her now packed suitcase as she manoeuvred it off the bed. She strained to pull the suitcase over to the door where it would wait to be taken down by the hotel porters in the morning.
He observed her with raised eyebrows. Despite his suggestion that she get a suitcase with wheels, she’d insisted on taking her tried and trusted old green one -the one with no wheels and which in itself was a fair weight even without the mountain of clothes inside it.
Cassie muttered as she gave the case one final kick in annoyance and looked up at him. Her eyes challenged him to say something, anything. He turned away with a hidden smile.
She flopped down onto the bed and groaned. “I can’t believe we have to leave tomorrow.”
She opened her arms and spread them out behind her, her t –shirt straining at the move and showing the generous curves beneath. Seeing Bennett’s predatory look, she hastily sat up again lest he get any ideas about pouncing on her. They were due downstairs for their last lunch together with the rest of the cast and crew in about five minutes.
“I thought you were looking forward to getting home?” Bennett said. “You’ve been itching to get back to business. That phone of yours hasn’t stopped since we left London.”
 He sat down on the bed beside her, his green eyes observing her, admiring her tanned skin from the sunshine of the Tibetan summer and the small freckles scattered across her cheeks and nose. Her strawberry blonde hair, worn long but now even longer past her shoulders, had streaks of gold where the sun had bleached it.
All in all, he thought the six weeks holiday she’d had whilst he was filming had done her good. After the events of the last twenty one month’s together, it was good to see her looking so perky, healthy and downright sexy.
She nodded. “I know. I am. It’s just that it’s so peaceful here. I know you’ve been filming but I’ve never seen you look so relaxed either. This trip has been good for both of us.”
He regarded at her ruefully. “What with all the past events, you and your car accident, Eric’s death, Mum’s psychotic episode and you landing up in hospital again and that bloody Laura woman stalking me, I’m surprised we’re not both basket cases.”
She sighed. “I can’t believe our Tibet trip is nearly over. I know when you get back you’ll be busy filming in the London studios- Waverly is it?”
Bennett nodded. “It’s a huge and very sophisticated studio in Chalk Farm. It’ll be great seeing how the rest of the film comes together there.”
“Perhaps, Bennett, when we get home, I might be able to convince you not to fall asleep with such regularity at your desk.” Cassie said drily.
 He grinned. Whilst he’d been in Tibet, many were the nights he’d fallen asleep in front of his laptop, his script open, various research websites being bookmarked and copious notes in his untidy, almost illegible scrawl in the margins of his script. He knew it drove Cassie to distraction.
“You know me, Cass. I’m a little obsessive.”
Cassie stared at him in amusement. “A little? Bennett, you disappear in the middle of the night to God knows where, for hours on end, stalking about talking to yourself and looking like a crazy person.”
He smiled, knowing this to be true.
Cassie continued her diatribe.  “You wander up into the mountains, down by the river and I never quite know where I’m going to find you or when you’ll be back. It can be quite dangerous out there.”
He shrugged. “When the muse is on me, Cass, I can’t help it. I need to get things perfect or it doesn’t work for me.”
“That’s all well and good, sweetheart, but if you hadn’t noticed, ignoring me doesn’t make me go away. And you can be such an autocrat. It’s your way or no way.”
He raised his eyebrows at her. “An autocrat? Cassie, that’s a bit cruel.”
Bennett grinned at the exasperated face of his fiancée.  “I guess we should be getting downstairs for lunch. I was planning on an afternoon siesta with you but judging from the sound your stomach is making, I imagine you’re hungry again. I can’t make love to a starving woman. It’s too distracting.”
He stood up and reached out a hand to her. She took it as she stood up and they walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind them.
Downstairs in the outside courtyard the lunch buffet was in full swing. The full cast and crew of Lost Horizon were helping themselves to a spread of both Chinese and Tibetan local fare including roasted yak which Cassie hadn’t wanted to try. Bennett found it delicious. But despite that, Cassie refused to taste it. He acknowledged that neither of them had developed the taste for the local butter tea.
Mingmei Cheng, Bennett’s co- star and love interest in the film, smiled when she saw them, wandering over to join them. She was stunningly beautiful, a slim exotic Mandarin woman with long black hair and small hands that waved like butterflies when she talked.   Bennett was well aware that the one part about the making of the film Cassie couldn’t get used to were the on-camera love scenes and intimate moments between him and Mingmei.
Although John managed them tastefully and there was only what was needed on show,
nothing gratuitous, he knew she still couldn’t bear to watch Bennett and Mingmei together in that way.
“Most of the time you’re half naked.” she’d grumbled when they’d talked about it recently.
He’d smiled at her discomfort. “Cassie, mostly I have my shirt off. My pants and everything else are still on for most of the scenes. And when they’re not, well, there’s not really any contact. Honest.”
She’d scowled. “Well, I still don’t like watching it. Mingmei is so beautiful and tiny and it just looks wrong when she has her hands all over your bare chest. Sometimes I want to scratch her porcelain face. That makes me a really bad person, Bennett.”
It hadn’t helped that he’d chuckled loudly at her comments.  “You jealous harpy. You know I’m acting. I promise.”
 Seeing them now, Mingmei smiled at them sweetly.  “Bennett, Cassie,” she said softly in her lilting dialect. “I’m glad you decided to join us. I thought perhaps you might be having a siesta.” She smiled slyly.
Bennett smiled, watching Cassie’s face flush instantly. He did tend to have a proclivity towards afternoon ‘siestas’ with her when he could get them and it appeared the whole crew knew about them
“No, we were hungry and looking forward to lunch. I shall miss all of this when we get home.”  Cassie waved a hand around at the tables laden with food.
Bennett looked at her with raised eyebrows “The way you’ve been eating whilst we’ve been here I shall have to employ you your very own chef when we get home to keep you stocked up on Kung Pao chicken and roast pig.”
He frowned worriedly. “Actually, thinking about it, I think we should call the airport and pay to increase our baggage allowance. We might need to offset it against the extra weight in the plane when you get in.”
Cassie punched him hard in the arm making sure her knuckle was extended. He yelped and rubbed his arm but the smile didn’t leave his face. Mingmei watched on with amusement.
“You bastard!” Cassie hissed. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.”
Bennett realised he’d perhaps overstepped the boundary. Cassie was sensitive about the fact that she was older than him and always told him she had to work harder to keep her figure in shape. He loved it just the way it was.
He pulled her close, planting a kiss on top of her head. “You look wonderful to me, Cassie, just the way you are. I love your curves.”
She wasn’t mollified by his words, glaring at him fiercely. She was stopped from responding as John Lammington came up and slapped Bennett on the back.
“Bennett! Glad you could join us. We thought you’d gone for a lie down. I thought you might have been a bit stiff after riding that crazy animal this morning.”
He winked at Cassie who felt her face blush red. The double entendre was not lost on anyone. Mingmei looked down, smiling.
Bennett chuckled softly as Cassie went even redder.  “No, no siesta. The woman needed feeding again.”
He made sure to stay out of the way of Cassie’s fist as he wandered over to the table to pile a plate with food. Cassie muttered a rude but very audible swear word at him under her breath, making sure she piled her plate high. She sat next to Bennett at the long communal table. He was amused at her defiant stand.
“So, Bennett. Looking forward to getting back to London and the dreary October weather?” John took a swig of the local Lhasa beer he was partial to.
Bennett shrugged. “I’ve enjoyed it here. It’s been an incredible experience. But Dylan is chomping at the bit to get his latest production up and running. He opens in December and needs some help. So I’ll be giving him a hand at the Val in between filming the rest of Lost.” He looked at John wryly. “Assuming I have any free time at all, that is. You can be a real slave driver.”
The Val as it was lovingly known, real name the Valedictorian, was the theatre that Bennett, Cassie and Dylan owned in London. Bennett had given Cassie thirty five percent of his shares when they got engaged last year. He’d thought it was the perfect engagement gift. He knew she loved the ambience, the quirkiness, camaraderie and drama that went on there.
John chuckled. “Now, Bennett. That coming from one perfectionist to another.” John helped himself to another beer. “Isn’t Dylan’s play some sort of musical about some Australian lady gang?”
Bennett nodded. “It’s about the Razor Gang wars in the mid nineteen twenties in Sydney. He’s done a hell of a job in getting something like that into a musical, but I think it works.”
John grinned. “I understand you aren’t contributing to the stage show. Not your ‘cup of tea’.”  He mocked Bennett’s accent.
Bennett shook his head ruefully. “I’m not fond of singing in public and I’m not the greatest dancer. I’ll stick with drama rather than make a fool of myself trying to belt out a tune.”
“I can vouch for that statement,” muttered Cassie. Bennett saw she was still unforgiving about the weight comment. “Bennett has a tendency to be very noisy when he’s trying to sing Pavarotti in the shower.”
“But I do have other talents you like in the shower, sweetheart.” Bennett regarded her lazily, not wanting to be outdone. He sniggered as Cassie once again blushed pink.
John gave a great laugh. “You two really keep us all amused with your bickering, you know that? It’s been like having two teenagers on set.”
He stood up. “Well, packing beckons. I still have a ton of things to sort out before we leave tomorrow afternoon.” He looked gloomy.  “I suppose we’ll be taking that dodgy tour bus to the local airport and then flying to Lhasa Airport for the flight home. It’s going to be a long couple of days to get home.”
John hadn’t enjoyed the bus ride to the hotel, having white knuckled it all the way due to the driver’s fairly erratic driving narrowly missing the long drops over the side of the mountains. He sighed. “See you kids later.”
Bennett sat back in his chair, closing his eyes, enjoying the rays of the sun on his face. Hearing  a little voice beside him, he opened his eyes to see little Soong Li, the daughter of one of the Hotel Managers, smiling shyly at Cassie as she held out a small carved wooden bird.
Cassie smiled at her as she sat up. “Hello Soong Li. This is beautiful. Is it for me?” She leaned over and took the small bird gently from the child’s outstretched hand. “Did you make this yourself?”
The little girl nodded. “I want you to take it back home with you.” she said in slightly broken English. “To remind you of me and Shangri La.”
Cassie often took the child on her travels with her, mule riding, climbing the nearby mountains and wading down in the river collecting any item of interest the pair could find. The little girl had taken a shine to Cassie and was constantly fascinated by the colour of her hair and the freckles appearing on her face.
Bennett watched the two together now, seeming so comfortable with each other. Cassie couldn’t have any children of her own. She’d been unable to do so even before his mother had attacked Cassie one evening and injured her so badly that it had simply cemented the fact that Cassie would never be a mother.
The closest they’d get would be Bennett’s five year old nephew, Sean, who lived with Bennett’s father at the family home. Bennett and Cassie enjoyed taking him out on the occasional day out but were always glad to see him home to Edward’s.
Cassie hugged the child and Soong Li ran off to join her friends playing nearby. She looked over at Bennett, smiling.  “If you’re finished stuffing your face, I suppose we could go for a walk down by the river. It’ll be the last chance we get.”
He extended his arm to her and they walked out of the hotel courtyard into the dusty road leading down to the river. It was quiet, the clouds settling low upon the horizon and the warm breeze slightly unsettling Cassie’s hair, causing it to blow across her face.
She brushed it back absentmindedly as she walked.  “Have you spoken to Sean recently?”
Bennett was in the habit of calling his nephew with an update on how many yaks he had seen, what the stupid mule had done next and generally painting a vivid picture for the child of what it was like to be in Shangri La.
Bennett nodded. “I spoke to him last night. Apparently he’d had a bad day at school, some kid pinched his lunch and when Sean found out, he punched him in the nose. Mary had to go down to the school and placate them.”  He grinned. “I’d say he’s definitely a Saville.”
Cassie kissed him affectionately on the chin. “Given his uncle’s temper, it sounds like the fruit hasn’t fallen far from the tree albeit a little removed.”
Bennett’s temper was legendary, something he sometimes struggled to control. The last year had certainly tested this to the limit. More than once Cassie had found herself having to defuse him.
They’d reached the river now, sitting down on the grassy bank, taking off their shoes and planting their feet in the cool running water.
“Did you ever think we’d be where we are now?” asked Bennett suddenly. “I mean sitting here together in Shangri La in Tibet. Sometimes it all seems rather surreal.” He glanced at Cassie as she watched the water run over her feet.
“You know I believe things happen for a reason.” she said slowly. “Everything has a purpose. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing now than sitting here with you in this magical place. January last year I was just plain Cassie Wallace. Now I’m Cassie Wallace, fiancée with a young, filthy rich, sexy man in her bed. Who could possibly have seen that coming?”
She leaned over and kissed him. He pulled her towards her and the kiss grew deeper and more intense. Bennett wound his fingers through her hair, pulling her closer, enjoying the feel of her warm body and the sunshine on his back.  After a few hot and heavy moments they pulled apart.
“I think it’s time for that siesta.” Cassie said huskily, running her fingers down his chest, pausing on his flat stomach and slipping her hands under his loose shirt.
He drew a breath as her hands found the warm skin beneath. “I certainly don’t think we should carry on here, we have an audience.” he murmured, kissing her ear, his tongue darting in and out causing her to shiver.
Cassie looked up in panic and Bennett chuckled. “There’s no one watching, Cassie. I mean that lot over there.” He pointed to where a half a dozen curious yaks were congregating by the river bank, observing them through large brown eyes. Cassie giggled when she saw them.
“Whilst I could quite gladly ravish you here and now, I don’t relish the thought of doing so with them watching me. I don’t like competition.” Bennett stood up, picking up his shoes.
Cassie did the same and together they walked back up to the hotel. The lobby was fairly quiet. Everyone was probably in their rooms packing for tomorrow’s early get away. Their hotel room was cool and the breeze wafted in through the open windows.
No sooner had they closed the door, than Bennett pulled Cassie towards him, his mouth finding hers again, his tongue running its way across her top lip and finally finding its way into her mouth.
She pressed against him, her hands wrapped tightly around his neck, her hands buried in his curly auburn hair. His mouth moved away from hers, down her throat to the swell of her breasts. He felt her nipples harden as he kissed them, his tongue lightly teasing them through her t-shirt. She raised her arms and he slipped off the t-shirt. She wore nothing underneath. He undid her jeans and they fell to the floor as he slipped her panties down her legs. She was naked now, pressing herself against him with an urgency he could feel.
“God, Bennett,” she groaned. “How can you still do this to me? I never get tired of you.”
“Ditto.” he whispered, watching as she unzipped his chinos and undressed him. He heard her give a hiss of satisfaction at what she found. She pulled him over to the bed, her movements urgent and desperate, lying down, desperate to get closer to him.
He continued his body tasting, kissing the inside of her thighs, up her stomach to her breasts again, finally to her mouth. She stroked him as he sighed in pleasure. Her hands moved across his back down to his backside and back up again. Bennett’s fingers softly stroked her where the sensation was incredible and he felt her tremble and moan softly. He kept her waiting, teasing her until she ground her mouth into his.
She moaned. “God, Bennett, now, I can’t wait.”
He raised himself above her, watching her face as he slowly filled her, hearing her groan of pleasure and feeling the intense sensation himself as she clenched her inner muscles around him and rocked beneath him. Her nails scratched his back and he winced in anticipation, remembering a previous love making session where she had almost torn him to pieces.
She remembered too and gasped, “I promise I won’t damage you, Bennett, not like last time.”
He thrust harder into her as they both felt the rising explosion between them and when it arrived, they cried out and shuddered, their mouths grinding together as they reached their peak and collapsed, satiated for the moment, into a heap of limbs on the bed.
“Jesus, Bennett, sex with you just gets better and better every time. Are you sure you’re not practising with anyone else in your spare time?” Cassie leaned over to kiss his nose.
He pretended to consider that before answering. “Not unless you count the ladies at the coffee house near the theatre, the all night strip club or the Woman’s League ladies. Other than them I have to say you’re the only other one.” 
“Do you think we are sex addicts like everyone seems to think?” asked Cassie seriously, causing Bennett to splutter with laughter.
“Cassie, I hardly think a healthy sexual relationship like ours is a sign of addiction. And if it is then I’m all for it.” He leaned over, kissing her again. “I can’t help it that I have this amazingly sexy and beautiful woman who just can’t get enough of me. It’s just you being Cassie that does it for me.”
She cuddled into him. “What about when I’m old and wrinkly and my boobs sag? Will you still want me then?”
Bennett tried to be careful how he answered this one. He knew Cassie was still a little insecure about their age difference.
He pulled her closer, stroking her back and nuzzling her hair.  “I’ll be growing older too, Cass. Hell, I’ll be forty next year. Who knows, my equipment could stop working and then where would you be? You’d have to trade me in for a younger model. It’s all relative.” He kissed her tenderly. “I love you, silly woman. Isn’t that enough for now?”
“I suppose.” She didn’t sound convinced but it was the best he could do.
He sighed and stood up. “I’m going to go take a shower. I think we’re all meeting for drinks at eight tonight.”
He disappeared into the bathroom. She joined him a few minutes later and managed to convince both of them beyond any doubt that his equipment was definitely still working.

Thursday 21 February 2013

Special Smut by the Sea offer for Valentine’s Day and beyond!

Victoria Blisse is here to tell us all about a UK event!



It’s recently been Valentine’s day and we all looked for something special to give to our loved ones. Sometimes though Valentine’s gifts last for no time at all, flowers wilt, chocolates get eaten, champagne drank. How about treating your other half to a great day out by the sea with extra added smutty fun?

Well, we’re offering Smut by the Sea tickets for £7.50 from now until  25st February 2013. This is a 25% off the usual price. This ticket will get you in to the Smut by the Sea Book launch with free nibbles and a glass of something bubbly plus readings that will get you in the mood for some seaside good loving.

Smut by the Sea takes place on the 22nd June at Scarborough Library. The event runs all day with readings and an erotic marketplace during the day (10am-4pm), featuring top authors like KD Grace, Janine Ashbless, Victoria Blisse, Lucy Felthouse, Tabitha Rayne, Lexie Bay, Slave Nano and Ruby Kiddell.  And then the evening will showcase Smut by the Sea volumes 1&2 between 6-9 pm.


Pick up tickets for your beloved today and give a gift that will keep on giving! For more details check http://smutbythesea.co.uk and buy your tickets here http://smutbythesea.eventbrite.co.uk/

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Review Celebration - Kathryn Brown

Kathryn Brown wrote a different, compelling romantic story with her contemporary 'Nightingale Woods'. This is my review of it. (I've made the link live on the title to both Amazon UK(the first time the title is mentioned) and also Amazon US (when the title is mentioned in the review itself).

'Nightingale Woods' is Kathryn Brown's novel about being the 'other woman'. Written throughout in the first person - a clever device, as we see events solely from the other woman's point of view and can more readily empathise with her - it is a realistic story showing the pains, highs and lows of being involved with a married man. The narrator, Rachel, has intense chemistry with Steve, an older man whom she is convinced is the love of her life. We follow her history, beginning in the 1990s and the start of her affair with him. This part of the novel is written in diary form, which gives it great movement and pace. The spirit of the decade is captured in the language, the music and the wine. Because the reader is inside Rachel's head we see her doubts and guilt, which makes her sympathetic. I found Steve less so, but his motivations were also always shown and the stakes involved were always clearly stated.

The second part of the novel shows their affair rekindled after a long interval. The time between is explained and Rachel's increased age and life experience are well drawn. This part, written in first person but not as a diary, shows Rachel embedded in her new life and, as a contrast, the committed love of her friends Claire and Melanie.

Throughout, the 'symbol' of Rachel's and Steve's love is the Nightingale Woods and these, too, are not left unscathed.

This was a different read, involving and very brave. Lindsay Townsend

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Review Celebration and an Award - Lindsay Townsend

What perfect timing for Valentine's Day! On Feb 14th I heard from Ally and Donna at the review site Single Titles. CataNetwork reviewers have presented me with their prestigious 2012 Single Titles Reviewers’ Choice Award for The Amorous Chatelaine.

Emma de Barri is the generous chatelaine of a large estate, where she schools young, green knights in the matters of courtly dress and deportment. As a widow, she is often the object of desire but never has a knight tempted her away from the memory of her late husband.

Sir Robert is neither young nor green. He is hardened by battle and tempered by the vagaries of life. He is also rough and unrefined—completely lacking in manners, sophistication or any of the qualities Lady de Barri values. But his arms are strong, his face is handsome and his heart is as bright and gold as the sun at noon. A heart he gives unreservedly to Lady de Barri.

As Emma teaches Sir Robert how to read and dress, how to be gentle and composed, he teaches his sweet chatelaine how to live and love again.

Ellora's Cave 2012

Read Chapter One

Long and Short Reviews:

Ms Townsend drops her reader into the medieval world of Knights and Ladies and in short order reveals two characters with depths, charm and baggage they are both subconsciously using as shields against moving forward.

All it takes for Sir Robert is one look at the Lady bathing in the open air pool to fall head-over-heels in love, but never having felt the emotion before, it takes him a while to cotton on, and yet that is part of Ms Townsend's skill in presenting such a loveable hero. While he is gallant, strong, courteous and caring, he lacks social skills and presumes they will forever hold him back from finding true love. Indeed due to past events, he doesn’t ever expect a woman to look upon him with any favour. When challenged, he rises to protect the woman he’s given his heart to.

Widowed lady Emma never expects to give her heart to another and yet, and despite the number of knights she has schooled in social etiquette and expectations, it is the honourable and courageous Sir Robert, who lacks all those graces she normally holds dear, that captures her heart. She is wily, witty and charming and when she has a goal she goes after it.

The challenge when it comes is unexpected and takes a little readjustment, but only a little. The author skims over the details of the conflict and swiftly moves the reader on to how her hero and heroine overcome the considered obstacles in their path.

It is the way that the author unveils the insecurities of her characters, that adds depth and charm to the romance, and her scene-setting is delightful.

There are some sexually charged scenes in The Amorous Chatelaine, of which only one is mildly explicit. That said the author’s light touch, and ‘sweet’ technique, present a rough diamond of a hero in Sir Roger, and just the woman to polish up those sharp edge in widowed Lady Em, the Chatelaine.

For lovers of historical romance, this is a quick and uplifting story. Four and a half stars.


Single Titles:

Lindsay Townsend gives the reader a sweet love story about a woman who thinks her love life is over and the man who rekindles her passion. Emma lives happily with her warrior women, spending her time improving the lives of young knights. She does not realize that something is missing from her own life until she meets Sir Robert. He challenges her and makes her look forward to each new experience. When someone tries to take away everything she worked so hard to build, Sir Robert is at her side willing to fight for her. Is Sir Robert the man who will make Lady Emma live again? Five Stars.

Two Lips Reviews:

Emma De Barri, now widowed, is chatelaine of an estate.  She instructs young knights in manners and proper personal grooming and dress.  Always she keeps in her heart the loving memory of late husband and finds she cannot open her heart to another.  Sir Robert is a mature knight used to battle but without manners or courtly charm. He possesses no lands or treasures, only courage and a true heart that is devoted to Emma.  

Emma smoothes all of Robert's rough edges as he awakens her heart to the possibility of love. Yet, Robert has nothing to offer her; no lands, no legitimate name, nothing.  The queen has summoned Emma to the castle and both Emma and Robert know it is likely that the queen has decided upon a husband for Emma. What will the two ever do to save their burgeoning love?  

Ms. Lindsay Townsend creates a knight that every woman on the planet dreams about; he’s kind, selfless, intelligent and courageous. His careful treatment and blunt honesty will endear the reader to him.  

Women will also appreciate that The Amorous Chatelaine’s heroine is not to be trifled with. As chatelaine, she has her own power. She cares for her people and keeps the estate in good maintenance and productivity. These two characters will win the heart of any reader. Although there were a few POV issues, I was charmed by Ms. Townsend’s poetic language and beautiful scenery descriptions. The Amorous Chatelaine is a little story with a big heart.  4.5 Lips

Evolved World:

I enjoyed this sweet, even-paced medieval romance novella. As part of the Ellora’s Cave Blush imprint, there are some sexually charged scenes, but they are more sensual then sexual and are delicately expressed.

Within a very short space of time, this 60 page strong novella handily conveys a medieval romance. It does not overextend itself. Sir Robert, from the very beginning, is a complex and likable character, and his blond good looks don't hurt either. The beauteous Lady Emma, a bit of a mystery in the beginning, is gracious and generous to her people and to knights who, like Sir Robert, perhaps need a bit of tutoring in the knightly and chivalric arts.

Their romance is sweet, perhaps a bit coy at times, but is believable and charming. It is what I look for in a quick read when I have a hankering for a historical romance. Ms. Townsend clearly knows her medieval time well.   4 out of 5 Stars

Lindsay 
http://www.lindsaytownsend.net
http://www.twitter.com/lindsayromantic

Monday 18 February 2013

Coming Soon: Smut for Chocoholics


I found out very recently that a story I penned, Not Just Desserts, is to be included in an upcoming anthology about one of my favourite things... chocolate. Kevin Mitnik put together this anthology, and I can't wait to read the other stories in it! Mine is all about a woman who's infatuated with the manager of a local pub/restaurant, and she puts together a cunning plan to get his attention...
Sensual, sinful chocolately indulgence  is the theme of this erotic anthology, edited by Kevin Mitnik, with assistance from Victoria Blisse.
Smut for Chocoholics is all about indulgence, taking wicked delight in the erotic consumption and use of chocolate, with tales from some of erotica’s finest authors.. Whatever your relationship with the seductive cocoa, there’s something nestling between the covers for you.
Keep an eye on my website and social networks to find out when this book is released!
*****
Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over seventy publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include Best Bondage Erotica 2012 and 2013, and Best Women's Erotica 2013. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies. She owns Erotica For All, and is book editor for Cliterati. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9